Welcome to the Comics Syllabus podcast, where we read widely and we dig deep. Your host Paul, a literacy researcher and English teacher, introduces curious readers to a range of current and classic comics, and then engages in closer discussion and analysis of particular comics works.

First, (at 0:00) a walk through the Syllabus, a reading list of comics Paul invites you to read along with him in the weeks to come. See the Syllabus full list below.

This episode’s Close Read (at 32:20 ) is with Rachelle Cruz, as we dive into two graphic novels from Filipina/o creators, “Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me” by Lorina Mapa (Conundrum, 2017) and “Elmer” by Gerry Alanguilan (SLG, 2010). We start by catching up with Rachelle about her forthcoming comics textbook, “Experiencing Comics,” and then examine Alanguilan’s moving and vexing fable of chickens who acquire consciousness and Mapa’s moving autobiography about growing up in the Philippines and Canada, noticing powerful similarities in the two stories.

IMAGES TO GO WITH OUR DISCUSSION OF “ELMER” AND “DURAN DURAN, IMELDA MARCOS, AND ME” are at http://wp.me/p42KN3-JIR

In the discussion, Rachelle also mentions the documentary Komeriko Chronicles ( http://www.facebook.com/Komikero-Chronicles-1602564500070445/ ), Budjette Tan’s TRESE anthology (found at http://www.mervstore.com/products/kabuwanan ), and the comics work of Arnold Arre ( http://arnold-arre.com/ ), so check those out!

Finally, in the Discussion Section (at 1:35:00 ), the Discussion Section, with mentions of interviews with Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen at Multiversity http://www.multiversitycomics.com/interviews/descender-27-preview-interview/ and other podcasts, and shout outs to the #ComicsSyllabus community.

Subscribe and follow the Comics Syllabus podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Soundcloud, or copy this RSS feed to your podcatcher: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:235183739/sounds.rss or you can find archives for this podcast (previously named “Study Comics with Paul”) here: http://studycomics.club/

Join the discussion on the Comics Syllabus Facebook page: http://facebook.com/ComicsSyllabus or Follow Paul on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoPlai or leave your comments here on the showpage.